A clash erupted between the police and Congress workers as Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra continued in Assam's Guwahati. This comes as the state government and the Congress locked horns over the rally in Assam with the grand old party alleging that the march was attacked by 'BJP goons' on Saturday. According to a report on the news agency PTI, banners and posters put up to welcome the yatra were vandalised in the Lakhimpur town.
As Congress accused the BJP of trying to stop the yatra, youth Congress chief Srinivas BV posted on X that barricades were put up to stop the Rahul-led march but the party won't let that happen at any cost. He said, "There is a conspiracy to stop Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra once again by putting up barricades. But we will not let this happen now. Use as many sticks as you want, this war will continue now.
To this Assam CM Himanta Sarma hit back with 'Naxalite tactics' jibe, he tweeted, "These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such “naxalite tactics” are completely alien to our culture. I have instructed @DGPAssamPolice to register a case against your leader @RahulGandhi for provoking the crowd & use the footage you have posted on your handles as the evidence. Your unruly behaviour and violation of agreed guidelines have resulted in a massive traffic jam in Guwahati now."
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi addressed the police officers present at the rally and told them there was no justice in Assam. He said, "I want to say to the police officers standing here - We know that you did the work as per the order you received. But you remember one thing, there should be justice in Assam. Because the Chief Minister of Assam is stealing here 24 hours. He is the most corrupt Chief Minister.
Condemning the attack, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X, “We strongly condemn the shameful attack on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra vehicles and tearing of the Congress party's banners and posters by BJP goons in Lakhimpur, Assam. In the last 10 years, the BJP has attempted to trample and demolish every right and justice guaranteed by the Constitution to the people of India. It wants to subjugate their voices, thereby hijacking democracy.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assam Legislative Assembly (ALA), Debabrata Saikia has submitted a memorandum to Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking a judicial probe into the alleged “physical assault” on Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah and 'unruly behaviour' of the BJP cadres during the Rahul Gandhi-led rally in the state.
Saikia accused Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government of creating serious administrative blockage and alleged that the saffron party unleashed unruly lumpens to sabotage the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra by 'brute of physical force' and 'criminal attack'.
Apprising the governor of the incident, Saikia stated that the party lodged a complaint with the Assam Director General of Police (DGP) and even though the senior officer tweeted that measures for protection were taken, Saikia alleged no such arrangement was witnessed.
“As we made a complaint to the DGP, he tweeted that he has arranged all kind of protection for the yatra. However, it is a blatant lie as no such arrangement was witnessed. Yesterday, January 21, after a meeting in Sonitpur district, the yatra convoy was attacked, causing damage to the car of National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) President. Other NSUI activists were also physically assaulted. The incident took place in spite of an earlier incident of assault on the Pradesh Congress President. This has happened due to lackadaisical stand on the part of Assam police to provide necessary security for a democratic yatra,” Saikia stated in the memorandum.
Raising concern about the law and order situation in Assam, he demanded the Governor to take note and conduct a judicial inquiry into the matter.